Niacin (Vitamin B3) Part 1: Michael Cheikin MD

Dr. Abram Hoffer--Hero or Heretic? Holistic Medicine and Physiatry

www.cheikin.com 610-239-9901
October 2014
Niacin, or Vitamin B3, has been misunderstood and and risks, including flushing, lowering of triglycerides, cost,
under-appreciated since its discovery in the 1930’s. This two and toxicity. Most fortified foods such as breakfast cereals,
part article will review its history and science. While niacin grains, as well as vitamin supplements contain niacinamide
is currently used to lower triglycerides, it has several which is safe and cheap in the amounts added. However
additional benefits which can help with many chronic these levels will not achieve the benefits discussed above.
diseases that plague our global health and economy.
Why Can’t Foods Supply What We Need?
Abram Hoffer M.D., Ph.D. This question not only applies to niacin, but other
Any discussion of niacin must begin with the known deficiencies including vitamin A (causing blindness
contribution made by Dr. Abram Hoffer, a highly in Africa), vitamin D (contributing to osteoporosis and other
credentialed psychiatrist who lived for 90 years, taking 3000 diseases), magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, and omega 3 oils.
mg of niacin per day, while the RDA remains at 13 mg. Eye- Modern foods, even organic, are grown on depleted soils
opening interviews with him can be found on YouTube. In and processed using non-traditional techniques that fail to
the 1950’s, Dr. Hoffer cured hundreds of cases of release nutrients or deactivate anti-nutrients. Furthermore,
schizophrenia, while today it remains incurable. When his the RDA’s for preventing deficiency disease, set in the
paper was published in 1957, he thought he would be 1950’s, are not the same as those for promoting optimum
declared a hero; instead he was characterized as a heretic. function. It is the difference between surviving and thriving.
In the 1940’s and50’s, William Kaufman M.D. PhD. “Normal” levels in the diet and blood may have little
helped hundreds of arthritic patients with higher meaning if the norms are based on an
doses of niacin. Bill W., the founder of AA, Proven Benefits of unhealthy, depleted, pharmaceutically
included niacin in his program for alcoholism. Niacin “managed” population.
Recently, the AARP, the New York Times, Lowering of triglycerides For example, while the RDA for vitamin D
and the New England Journal of Medicine remains at 400 IU per day for an adult, and will
announced that niacin’s risks often outweigh its Raising of HDL cholesterol prevent rickets, most experts suggest that levels
benefits and is not worthy of further study. Lowering of total and LDL of 4000 IU or more are necessary for optimal
However, the research cited is not applicable to cholesterol health. Over 50 years ago, two-time Nobel
the general population--the subjects were Improvement in Laureate Linus Pauling concluded that we need
cardiac patients already on statins and other osteoarthritis at least 2000 mg of vitamin C per day (some
medications as well. Dr. Hoffer’s last book, Curing of schizophrenia need much more!) for optimal health, while the
Niacin, the Real Story presents his experience, RDA remains about 100 mg. Regarding niacin,
the science, and why most of have only heard Help with alcohol and while the RDA of 13 mg will prevent pellagra,
addiction
marginal or negative accounts of niacin (greed!) Hoffer concluded that our advanced brains and
Possible Additional bodies need higher doses, just like a Corvette
Niacin and Pellegra Benefits needs a higher octane fuel just to run normally.
In the early 1900’s more than 100,000 Healing of gums
people died of pellagra, a disease characterized Improved skin, hair and How Does Niacin Work?
by four D’s: diarrhea, dermatitis (rashes), nails Niacin is used by every cell of the body to
dementia (psychosis), and death. Joseph generate energy and do its job. Niacin is
Goldberger M.D. who had helped determine the Improved anxiety intimately involved with the amino acid
infectious causes of yellow fever and typhus Lower blood pressure tryptophan, as well as 5HTP, serotonin,
turned his attention to pellagra. As early as the melatonin, and the B complex vitamins, which
1920’s he concluded that the cause of pellagra Improved energy have critical roles functioning of brain, liver,
was not infectious, as most believed, but a Improved sleep immune, sleep and mood. These details, as well
deficiency of niacin. His findings were not as recommendations on how to use niacin will
accepted until 1942 when the US government Improved immune function be discussed in Part 2 of this article.
(infections and cancer)
ordered fortification of grains with niacin.
Within two years, pellagra was eradicated in the Reduction of allergy and IMPORTANT NOTES:
US and Europe. Canada did not accept this truth anaphylaxis 1. This educational material may not be used to
and continued to experience pellagra for years until it began influence medical care without supervision by a
licensed practitioner.
fortifying its foods. The history of medicine and science 2. These contents are ©2014 by Michael Cheikin MD and may not
repeats this pattern of rejection of important discoveries, be reproduced in any form without express written permission.
with untold suffering until the truth becomes insuppressible. 3. Dr. Cheikin's website has related articles and references such as
What caused pellagra was that corn has to be cooked in “Anti-Nutrients”, “Seeing the Obvious” and others.
an alkali solution to release its niacin. This process, called
nixtamalization, was developed as early as 1500 BC by the Michael Cheikin MD is a holistic physician, Board Certified in
Aztecs and Mayans. Corn was becoming a dominant staple Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation ("Physiatry"), Pain
in the US, Canada and Europe, but as per “modern Management, Spinal Cord Medicine and Electrodiagnostic
advances”, was not being processed the traditional way. Medicine and licensed in Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Cheikin has
extensively studied yoga, diet and metabolism, Ayurvedic, Chinese
and energy medicine and other alternative modalities for over 30
Forms of Niacin years. He specializes in obscure, chronic and severe problems that
Niacin has several forms: niacin, niacinamide and have not responded satisfactorily to other methods of healing.
several “flush-free” forms. Each form has certain benefits www.cheikin.com 10/17/14-7 …af.doc